Dragon Mountain Daoist took the Ice Silkworm Strength, scanned through it once, then again. A trace of admiration surfaced in his calm eyes.
"The Senior who created this Ice Silkworm Strength was indeed an extraordinary genius," he said slowly. "Unfortunately, only the first three layers remain. Otherwise, it would have been slightly superior to the Multiplied Strength skills you currently cultivate."
Ye Qinghe was startled.
Only now did she realize she had underestimated this cultivation method. Her earlier regret deepened slightly.
But Dragon Mountain Daoist did not dwell on the manual. Instead, he shifted his gaze and asked solemnly,
"You mentioned earlier that this white ape consumed a red fruit. Describe that fruit in detail."
His tone was calm, but Ye Qinghe could hear the seriousness beneath it. She did not dare delay and immediately recalled everything she had seen.
"The color was vivid, almost glowing. The stem was Xuanhuang, and the fruit itself was perfectly round…"
Though she had only held it briefly, her memory was precise.
She hesitated, then asked curiously,
"Master, do you know what kind of spiritual fruit it might be?"
Dragon Mountain Daoist frowned slightly.
"It resembles the legendary Vermillion Fruit. That fruit can cleanse marrow and transform the body. However, if this white ape had truly consumed multiple Vermillion Fruits, its strength would not be so weak. You likely wouldn't have been able to suppress it so easily."
He shook his head.
"This fruit can clearly awaken wisdom, yet its power is limited. Strange."
After a moment of thought, he waved his sleeve lightly.
"The Major Thousand Worlds is vast beyond measure. Countless strange fruits exist. What matters is not its origin, but that this little ape obtained it through its own fate. You two must guard your Dao hearts and harbor no covetous thoughts."
Ning Qi and Ye Qinghe immediately grew solemn.
"Disciple understands."
The True Martial Sect had always upheld righteousness. Wanton slaughter and seizing opportunities through evil paths were never tolerated.
Dragon Mountain Daoist nodded in satisfaction, then gestured toward the white ape.
The white ape instinctively glanced at Ning Qi. After seeing the encouragement in his eyes, it walked forward, knelt, and kowtowed respectfully—its movements awkward, yet sincere.
Dragon Mountain Daoist stroked his beard and smiled.
"Indeed, its spiritual nature is rare."
Then his expression turned dignified.
"White Ape, are you willing to join my True Martial Sect? If you do, you must not act recklessly nor harm others at will."
His voice carried the weight of authority.
The white ape's eyes widened.
It nodded so hard it nearly toppled over, its excitement impossible to hide.
Ning Qi and Ye Qinghe exchanged smiles.
Dragon Mountain Daoist looked at Ning Qi.
"Little Nine, since this white ape followed you back, it shall stay by your side. You will take responsibility for it."
His intention was clear. Having such a spiritual companion was better than Ning Qi cultivating alone day after day.
"Disciple obeys."
Ye Qinghe suddenly laughed.
"Since it's officially joined the sect, shouldn't we give it a proper name?"
Dragon Mountain Daoist nodded.
"Since it follows Little Nine, Little Nine shall name it."
Ning Qi did not refuse.
He thought for a moment, then looked at the white ape.
"You are of the Ape Race, so let 'Yuan' be your surname. You were born in the mountains, wandered alone, and encountered many Opportunities—favored by Heaven and Earth."
He paused slightly.
"How about Yuan Tiansheng?"
As the name fell, Dragon Mountain Daoist and Ye Qinghe were still pondering its meaning—
—but the white ape's reaction was immediate.
Its eyes widened, its body trembled, and its joy nearly overflowed. If not for the solemn setting, it would have already rolled across the ground.
Clearly, it was extremely satisfied.
The atmosphere relaxed.
Then Ning Qi suddenly spoke,
"Master, I have a question."
"Speak."
"This time, Senior Sister and I encountered many strange beasts. Some were strong enough to rival Inner Yuan cultivators, while others were weaker than Bone Refining. Why is the difference so great? And do strange beasts have methods of cultivation?"
Dragon Mountain Daoist glanced at Yuan Tiansheng before replying.
"The origins of strange beasts are no longer traceable. There are only legends."
"In ancient times, some beasts received the favor of Heaven and Earth by chance. They could directly temper their bodies with Heaven and Earth power and even control it. These were known as Heavenly Beasts."
"But such favor carried immense karma. Something went wrong, and they suffered a backlash. Eventually, Heavenly Beasts vanished."
"Later came the era of strange beasts. All strange beasts possess remnants of Heavenly Beast bloodlines."
"However," he continued, "unlike the Human Race, strange beasts are not born with great wisdom. Their starting point is higher, but they lack systematic cultivation paths. Their strength depends on how much of their bloodline they can awaken."
Ning Qi's eyes lit up.
"So their strength depends entirely on bloodline?"
"Precisely. The Iron Arm Ape you encountered has a limited bloodline; its ceiling is the Body Tempering Realm. Unless it carries other ancient bloodlines, it cannot go further."
He paused.
"In contrast, the Flood Dragon Lord of Hundred Rivers Lake possesses an extremely high-grade bloodline. Even Heavenly Human experts do not dare provoke it lightly."
Yuan Tiansheng listened intently, yet also felt uneasy.
It knew its own strength well. Without the red fruits, it would have been nothing special.
Dragon Mountain Daoist added calmly,
"Still, humans and beasts are not fundamentally different. The Human Race has cultivation paths because countless ancestors explored and created them."
"If beasts with great wisdom were born, perhaps they could also forge their own cultivation paths."
"Only…" he sighed, "their body structures differ greatly. The difficulty is immense."
Yuan Tiansheng's eyes suddenly shone.
Hope stirred within its heart.
Ning Qi understood even more clearly now.
It was not that beasts could not cultivate—but that no paths existed.
A snake, for example, would require countless generations of wise predecessors to create a suitable system. The timescale alone was terrifying.
But apes were different.
They were close to humans.
Their forms were similar.
"Perhaps," Ning Qi thought, "apes can borrow from Human Race martial arts… and walk their own path."
This could also serve as validation for his own Dao.
He bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Master, for your guidance."
Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled faintly.
Ning Qi understood clearly now—
No matter how strong his talent was, the Dao still required endless accumulation.